ADDITIONAL WORDS BY NIAMH MCCOLLUM. *NAME CHANGED. PHOTOGRAPHSBY DINODIA PHOTOS/ALAMY, HINDUSTAN TIMES/AFP PHOTO/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES,VANTAGENEWS.COM, AP/SHUTTERSTOCK, ALPHA PRESS, MOVIESTORE/ALAMYAllIndia Mahila Congress- the women’s wing of
India’s Congress party - demand justice for
Tanushree Dutta
in Mumbai, 2018
SEPTEMBER 2018
NANA PATEKAR AND TANUSHREE DUTTA
A decade on, Dutta’s claims against Patekar resurface after
she reveals further details about her ordeal, including that
Patekar insisted intimate dance steps be incorporated into
their 2008 film. Fellow actresses step in to defend Dutta on
social media, and Bollywood’s #MeToo movement is launched.MARCH 2008
NANA PATEKAR AND TANUSHREE DUTTA
Former Miss Universe finalist Tanushree
Duttaaccuses the veteran Bollywood actor
of sexually harassing her on the set ofHorn
‘OK’ Pleassss. Patekar (right) is cleared
of all charges due to insufficient evidence.BOLLYWOOD’S#METOO TIMELINEJANUARY 2018
SOORAJ PANCHOLI AND JIAH KHAN
Aditya Pancholi’s son Sooraj (left) hits headlines
after a Mumbai court charges him with abetting
the suicide of his British girlfriend, Jiah Khan.
Khan died in 2013, leaving a note detailing
the abuse she suffered throughout their
nine-month relationship. The trial is ongoing.OCTOBER 2018
VINTA NANDA AND ALOK NATH
Inspired by Dutta, Bollywood stars start to speak
out about their own experiences. Writer Vinta
Nanda (right) shares details of a sexual assault
she allegedly suffered at the hands of actor Alok
Nath, 19 years prior. Nanda pens an open letter
asking India’s prime minister Narendra Modi for
justice, while Nath denies the allegations.JANUARY 2019
VIKAS BAHL
Bahl (left), a partner at Phantom Films,
is cleared of sexual assault charges
filed against him by a female employee
in 2018. Bahl is reinstated as director
of Phantom’s next big film,Super 30.In May, a leading Bollywood actress, who
remains anonymous, accused Pancholi
(right) of rape. The following month, details
of her police statement – alleging Pancholi
drugged and raped her several times
between 2004–2009, from the age of 16 –
become public. The star also claims that when she
reported the rapes to police, Pancholi was given a warning.
Pancholi strongly denies all the allegations.battle. Last year, there
was uproar after veteran
Bollywood actor Nana
Patekar, 68, was cleared
of sexual harassment
against one of his co-stars,
Tanushree Dutta, when she was 24. A number of actresses
tookthebold step of defending Dutta on social media, despite
the potential backlash, speaking out about their experiences.
Among them was actress Sonam Kapoor, daughter ofSlumdog
Millionaire star Anil Kapoor. ‘There’s always a need for
someone to step up,’ she says. ‘In India, more than anywhere
else in the world, we are taught not to speak out.’
The allegations in the Patekar case involved a newcomer in
the industry, but the Pancholi case has more far-reaching
implications because it involves one of the biggest actresses in
Bollywoodat the height of her career. It is not the first time
thatthe Pancholi name has been linked to controversy. Aditya
Pancholi’s son, Sooraj, has been under investigation following
the death of his girlfriend, British Bollywood actress, Jiah
Khan, after the pair were involved in a relationship that was
allegedly marred with physical violence and emotional abuse.
Sooraj was charged with abetting her suicide last year,
butKhan’s family believe she was murdered and fought to
have the case re-examined. Khan’s death is now the subject
of a BBC documentary currently being filmed that is
scheduled to air later this year.
‘Actors think they are gods and above the law,’ says
Khan’s mother, Rabbiya. ‘One famous director called my
daughterfor a script reading and told her to strip off and
weara bikini. Why do you need to do that to read a script?
Another set the condition that if she had sex with him she
would get a film role. She was a known actress. Imagine
what new girls must go through.’
Rabbiya hopes this new case will bring much-needed
changeto the industry and better protection for the women
trying to make their name in the cut-throat world
of Bollywood. However, Rajinder Dudrah, professor of
cultural studies and creative industries at Birmingham City
University, is sceptical. ‘Indian society is still very
conservative and patriarchal. Child marriage, female
infanticide, dowry and honour-based violence are all
prevalentin society, and show that women in India have far
moreto lose by speaking up to say #MeToo than women in
the West can ever imagine,’ he says. ‘The #MeToo
movementin India is timely, but the strength, impact and
longevityof such a movement will only be seen in the long-
term change that occurs in years to come.’■
‘ONEFAMOUS
DIRECTOR
CALLED MY
DAUGHTER
FOR A SCRIPT
READINGAND
TOLD HER TO
STRIP OFF’JUNE 2019
ADITYA PANCHOLI